Problem: Let $x,$ $y,$ and $z$ be real numbers such that
\[x^3 + y^3 + z^3 - 3xyz = 1.\]Find the minimum value of $x^2 + y^2 + z^2.$
Solution: We have the factorization
\[x^3 + y^3 + z^3 - 3xyz = (x + y + z)(x^2 + y^2 + z^2 - xy - xz - yz).\]Let $A = x + y + z$ and $B = x^2 + y^2 + z^2.$  Squaring $x + y + z = A,$ we get
\[x^2 + y^2 + z^2 + 2(xy + xz + yz) = A^2,\]so $xy + xz + yz = \frac{A^2 - B}{2}.$  Hence,
\[A \left( B - \frac{A^2 - B}{2} \right) = 1,\]which simplifies to $A^3 + 2 = 3AB.$

Now, by the Trivial Inequality,
\[(x - y)^2 + (x - z)^2 + (y - z)^2 \ge 0,\]which simplifies to $x^2 + y^2 + z^2 \ge xy + xz + yz.$  Since
\[(x + y + z)(x^2 + y^2 + z^2 - xy - xz - yz) = 1,\]we must have $A = x + y + z > 0.$

From $A^3 + 2 = 3AB,$
\[B = \frac{A^3 + 2}{3A}.\]By AM-GM,
\[\frac{A^3 + 2}{3A} = \frac{A^3 + 1 + 1}{3A} \ge \frac{3 \sqrt[3]{A^3}}{3A} = 1,\]so $B \ge 1.$

Equality occurs when $x = 1,$ $y = 0,$ and $z = 0,$ so the minimum value is $\boxed{1}.$